


Manly

by SecretScribbles



Series: After Earth [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura fights, Gen, I have had this argument of women inferiority many times before, I love picking on Iverson a little too much whenever I write him like this, It's So Stupid, Iverson doesn't believe her, Opens his mouth, Pidge teaches him a lesson, Then Matt, and yes, then Allura
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 17:04:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17329001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretScribbles/pseuds/SecretScribbles
Summary: Allura is a princess and therefore must not worry herself with trying to learn how to fight properly. Not when there are men around to protect her frail, little princess form.Or:Iverson is about to get another wake up call REAL quick.





	Manly

**Author's Note:**

> I'm stuck in a bit of writer's block right now because I'm trying to work on Name of a Witch (yes, it's still going, I haven't given up on it) and a few other projects at the same time so I'm a little overworked at the moment. HOWEVER, I still wanted to give you guys a little holiday/new year gift so. Have a short one. I hope you like it.

  
  


Allura wiped at her brow and heaved out a satisfied sigh. It had been a while since she had been given the chance to have a good work out, but thanks to Coran, she was able to slip away for a few hours to work off some frustrations. 

 

The crumbled gladiator bots piled high in her wake, and now that she had finished the latest level, the system was finally catching up on cleaning after her. As the destroyed metal was cleared away, Allura took this time to catch her breath and rehydrate. 

 

It felt good to get out from behind the desk and stretch for once. All the cramped muscles and even more cramped mind finally had a chance to decompress and expand, no longer trapped in paperwork or diplomatic duties. For once, Allura could let her mind go and not bother to think as she slammed her staff through the metallic skull of a gladiator, and honestly, it was more soothing than one could have imagined. Keith had the right idea.

 

Allura set aside her water bottle and inspected her staff for any damage after a nasty hit to one of the gladiator’s faces, thankfully only finding a small nick in the paint rather than the full-on crack she had feared. Not so thankfully, Iverson had been passing by the hallway at the time when he saw her holding a weapon and had to put in his two cents.

 

“Be careful with that, princess,” he said, coming into the room. “Even sticks can be dangerous if you’re not mindful.”

 

“Yes, I’m fully aware,” Allura said, offering a smile. “Thank you for your concern, commander. I’m just about done as it is, anyhow.”

 

That earned her a small chuckle.

 

“Done?” Iverson asked with a condescending grin. 

 

“Oh yes,” Allura chuckled, not quite noticing his demeanor as she went about putting her weapon away. “I’ve been severely lacking in my physical duties since coming to Earth. This was just a bit of a workout, that’s all.”

 

“A workout.” Iverson shook his head to the floor, trying not to laugh too much before turning his attention back to Allura. “With all due respect, your majesty, you’re time is much better suited elsewhere. It’s best for you to leave the play time for the real men who need it.”

 

Now Allura’s attention was captured. Having been focused on cleaning up rather than the man himself, she had not been able to really see just how little faith he had in her abilities from the start. His comment, however, made it very clear.

 

“I’m sorry,” Allura said slowly. “‘Real men?’”

 

Iverson shrugged, a slight chuckle to his words. “Yes, miss. A…  _ lady  _ such as yourself shouldn’t bother herself with trying to fight. Your duties are to the people, not to the battlefield. You wouldn’t want anything to happen to you and leave your people behind, would you?”

 

Allura gaped at the man before her, completely shocked. “Are you suggesting that I am incapable of defending myself?”

 

“Well,” Iverson leaned back with another laugh, completely unbelieving. “It’s common knowledge that men are better suited. I don’t know how it is on your planet but around here, your place is best suited behind the frey.”

 

Outrage surged through Allura’s veins, but before she could even manage to string together her next few words, Pidge and Matt happened to pop into the room as well.

 

“Princess, there you are!” Matt said with a goofy grin. He offered a wave to Allura in hopes of receiving a similar expression.

 

“Hey Allura. You’re needed in the briefing room,” Pidge said, barely leaning into the room on her way to her next duty as well, but Iverson had a point to make.

 

“There, now, see?” Iverson boasted. “There’s no need for you to be here when you’ve got people like us to take care of you.” He waved a hand over to Pidge, who was paying more attention to her latest handheld than the conversation more than anything. “Even Gunderson here would be better suited for the job than you. In fact, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind doing the heavy lifting for you while you listened to your meetings.”

 

“What?” Neither Pidge nor Matt could believe what they had just heard, but the look on Allura’s face said it all. The siblings shared a look as well, but Iverson was oblivious to this all.

 

“Now, don’t sell yourself short, cadet,” Iverson said. “You may be puny but you’re still a man. It’s your duty to protect those incapable of taking care of themselves.”

 

“‘Incapable,’” Pidge said slowly, completely incredulous. 

 

For a moment, disbelief won over the room as Iverson actually smiled to Pidge in encouragement. Not one person could even fathom that this sort of thinking could still exist or even thrive in this century, but apparently, Iverson was more than willing to prove them all wrong. Then, the crew became even more confused when Allura opened her mouth.

 

“You’re absolutely right, commander.”

 

Both Holts gaped openly at Allura, completely flabbergasted at her response. Allura herself stood tall, a smirk on her lips and a challenge in her eye as she looked over Iverson. The man himself could only smile in approval.

 

“There, see?” Iverson said. “Finally starting to see reason.”

 

“Oh yes,” Allura said, eyes alight. “Pidge here is an excellent example of what a man is capable of. Why, who else but a paladin of Voltron could defend a helpless princess such as myself?”

 

The plot instantly clicked with the siblings, and a twin, sinister grin spread over their faces as Iverson took the bait.

 

“Exactly,” Iverson said. “I’m glad you understand, princess.”

 

“Indeed. In fact,” Allura nodded to the Holts in the doorway. “Pidge, why don’t you  demonstrate how one is supposed to take down an assailant for me?”

 

“Of course, princess.” Pidge handed her gadget to Matt and easily made her way onto the training deck just behind Iverson, who was beginning to frown again.

 

“Take it easy on her, cadet,” he muttered. “Last thing we need is another war against these things.”

 

“Then I guess I better use a strong example,” Pidge breazed, then snatched onto Iverson’s wrist.

 

In the blink of his only working eye, Iverson was flipped over Pidge’s shoulder and slammed hard into the ground. He choked on the air caught in his throat from the impact, staring wide-eyed up at the ceiling somewhere between pain, anger and disbelief.

 

“There,” Pidge said, nonchalantly crossing her arms. “See how easy that was?”

 

Iverson scowled with irritation, but righted himself to his feet without a word nonetheless. If Pidge had done that to the princess then she would have easily snapped in two and certainly started another war just as he feared, but there was no way he could admit that tiny, little Pidge had hurt him out loud. So, Iverson stood to his feet and straightened his jacket, trying to look presentable.

 

Pidge smirked at this. “Now you try.”

 

The commander opened his mouth to refute having the princess practice any fighting, just like he had been all afternoon, but Allura was too quick for him, and snagged onto his arm.

 

“Like this?” she asked.

 

Once again, Iverson was left shocked as Allura not only hurled him over her shoulder, but all the way across the room and into the wall a good twenty feet away. If not for the padding on the floor, Iverson would have surely been given a concussion as he landed upside down after impact, his entire body leaning up along the wall from the slide down. He stared at a smirking Allura, proud of herself and the situation that Iverson had been found in, but Pidge’s grin wasn’t nearly as impressed.

 

“Eh, you could do better,” Pidge said with a shrug.

 

In the doorway, Matt did everything in his power to keep from bursting into laughter simply because he had a better plan. 

 

“Alright, well, we should really get going, Katie,” Matt said.

 

Pidge nodded and turned to leave with Allura by her side. “Yeah, I'm coming, bro.”

 

As they left, neither Pidge nor Allura could see Iverson’s face, but oh, boy, Matt could. He nearly lost his composure entirely at the upside down man, wide-eyed and open-mouthed as though he had seen his life flash before his eyes.

 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘KATIE’?”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I actually have had this conversation many times before. Yes. It STILL happens. I wasn't allowed to say anything because I was at work and "the customer is always right." No. That's bull. Don't talk to me or my pup ever again. Ugh.
> 
> I hope you liked it, I've been meaning to write this one for a while now. I've got a few more to go before this series is finished and I keep thinking up new scenarios by the minute so, this is going to be fun, no doubt.
> 
> Tell me what you think! I love hearing from you guys. :]
> 
> Happy new year~


End file.
